Logitech G515 Lightspeed TKL review: a gaming keyboard that is truly discreet

Ergonomics

For once, let’s start with the rather atypical design of this G515 Lightspeed TKL. Its very sober, almost office-like look and colors go hand in hand with the keyboard numbering and the price offered by Logitech. This retained style could please gamers who are not fans of the “gamer looks” generally adopted by manufacturers in this sector.

Exit notably the brand’s G logo, usually quite visible on the top. This is discreetly offset on the right edge with the name of the keyboard, which is somewhat reminiscent of Corsair’s claws.

In our white version, the keyboard sports a gray bar at its top, where we find three flat, round buttons. The first two allow you to alternate between wireless and Bluetooth modes, the last allows you to activate game mode to “mute” certain keys. Two LEDs (Caps Lock and Battery) are on the right. And that’s all.

No multimedia keys or wheel to report despite the size of this bar. The whole thing is just plastic. No metallic edging comes to slightly enhance an ensemble that we judge, on an absolutely personal level, to be a little “sad”. In any case in white, the black version seems a little more classic in photos.

Same observation on the back with an all-plastic striped area, fortunately rarely visible. Still on the back, we appreciate the presence of three-level feet and a place to store the small wireless dongle. 2024 requires, this keyboard therefore has triple connectivity: wired, Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless.

On the rear edge, a USB-C port for charging/wired use and an On/off button complete Logitech’s proposal. After reading these few lines, you will normally have understood: we are quite far from a high-end premium keyboard packed with features. However, the manufacturer had the intelligence to concentrate its efforts elsewhere to give its product a chance, namely its keys.

We will return in more detail to the typing quality offered by the manufacturer in the following section. Let’s immediately note the presence of PBT plastic for the caps low profile, yet not always offered in more expensive keyboards which often make do with ABS. Enough to give a high-end feeling under the fingers and increase the lifespan of the caps.

Another good point, despite the PBT, the screen printing (of good quality) allows the backlighting of the G515 to shine through. We would have appreciated if the shortcuts and secondary functions engraved at the bottom and on the edges of the keys were also backlit, but too bad.

Because yes, TKL keyboard requires, secondary functions are offered as standard on certain keys via an FN key. Volume and multimedia control are notably there to compensate for the absence of dedicated keys (their placement is ideal, especially for right-handed people), as well as a key to manage the backlight level. It’s not much, but fortunately it is possible to add shortcuts in software, on the F keys for example.

For its G515 Lightspeed TKL, Logitech promises a battery life of 36 hours in wireless use. In fact, with the backlight at maximum in a reasonable fixed setting, we observed a loss of a little less than 10% of battery per day in fairly intensive use (working day + a few hours of video games). A completely satisfactory result and which seems above the manufacturer’s promise, even if we are obviously far from the months of autonomy offered by models with batteries. Still, with its advanced backlighting and solid performance, Logitech’s proposal has nothing to be ashamed of. In particular, it uses intelligent automatic settings to quickly limit consumption outside of use phases.

Let’s finish with the dimensions of this keyboard. Measured at 368 mm wide by 150 mm deep and 22 mm high (just like the G915), they are quite contained. This last value is especially low, even with keys low profile. This allows you to do without a wrist rest to type comfortably, although it is always nice to have the choice. Finally, although quite heavy (880 g), the G515 fortunately remains transportable, but no resistance to water or dust is mentioned by Logitech.

Struck

Logitech has done an excellent job with the typing of its G515 Lightspeed TKL, of which this is undoubtedly the main quality. The slightly grainy texture of the keys low profile is very pleasant under the fingers and exudes solidity. It’s hard to go back to full-height caps after trying them. We were also very seduced by the sensations delivered by the brown switches. Quiet and comfortable with just the right amount of feedback, the typing is also perfectly responsive in all situations.

The other big strong point of this keyboard is the software part provided by the G Hub software. The latter, which has gained enormously in clarity since its debut, notably allows you to create multiple secondary shortcuts on all the keys on the keyboard. Pressing FN+F1 activates a layer of secondary shortcuts by default, but it is possible to go further by creating others according to different usage scenarios using the software.

The application also allows you to configure the keys disabled by game mode and is very generous regarding the backlighting. Many options and colors for each of its keys, with many interactive presets, are present. It is possible to save your preferences in the software or directly in the keyboard memory to find your settings even without installing G Hub. If you already have a Logitech wireless mouse, note that it is possible to use a single Lightspeed dongle for it and the keyboard.

Conclusion

Global mark

How does the rating work?

With the G515 Lightspeed TKL, Logitech is trying to attract gamers looking for a compact and high-performance wireless keyboard, with a fairly versatile look, at the risk of losing those who favor a slightly more aggressive design and the presence of a few fairly essential functions, such as multimedia buttons. But with its excellent touches low profile beautifully lit, its perfect brown switches, its complete software, without forgetting its autonomy and its solid performance, it is difficult not to salute this keyboard which could well dig its hole in the mid-range.